Missionary Work Among the Ojebway IndiansWilson, Edward Francis
History
Missionary Work Among the Ojebway Indians
Wilson, Edward Francis
Indians of North America -- Missions; Ojibwa Indians
"When we reached St. Catharine's Mr. Wilson and myself went from
wigwam to wigwam, asking for money to help the Indians on the great
Chippeway Lake. In the evening the white people met together in the
teaching wigwam, and there were so many of them that they had no more
room to sit, and I spoke to them and told them the thoughts of my
heart. This time I spoke more boldly than I had done before. I told
them that as an Indian chief I had a right to speak on behalf of my
poor people, for the land the white men now held was the land of my
fathers; and now that the white man was powerful, and the Indian was
weak, the Indian had a right to look to him for help and support. As I
closed my speech I looked around last of all upon the children; for I
wished my eyes last of all to rest upon these white children who had
received the benefit of education and Christian instruction; and I gave
them my beaver-skin to keep in their school, so that they might always
remember my visit and think upon my words.
"On the second day of the week, early in the morning, we entered the
fire-waggon to go to the river of the Mohawks. I was greatly rejoiced
to see Mr. Chance once more, and also his wife and children. I remained
with them three days.
"When the day came for me to leave, the black-coat, Chance, took me in
his waggon to the place where the fire-waggons start, and sent a wire-
message to Mr. Wilson to be ready to meet me when I arrived.
"I sat in the fire-waggon, and smoked my pipe, and rejoiced in my mind
that my work was now over, and I should soon return to my people. For
many hours I travelled, and the sun had already sunk in the west, and I
thought I must be nearly arrived at Ahmujewunoong, when the fire-waggon
chief came to look at my little paper; and then he looked at me and
shook his head, and I understood I had come the wrong way. Presently the
fire-waggon stood still, and the chief beckoned me to get out, and he
pointed to the west, and made signs by which I understood that I must
now wait for the fire-waggons going towards the sun-rising, and in them
return part of the way back. By-and-bye the fire-waggons approached,
coming from where the sun had set; and a man told me to get in. It was
midnight when I reached Pahkatequayang (London), and they let me go into
the wire-house and lie down to sleep. I slept well all night, and early
in the morning a man beckoned to me that the fire-waggons were ready to
start for Sarnia, and showed me which way to go.
"Thus I at length got back to Sarnia, and was glad to lie down and
rest in Mr. Wilson's wigwam; and now I am waiting for the fire-ship to
come, and as soon as it comes I shall go on board and return straight
home to my people.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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